Blood is Thicker
by jedidah
Summary: "We can't afford this! It's never going to work!" "Wayne's an easy mark." Dana said confidently, "That man's left his DNA in enough places, no one will believe him if he tries to deny it." WARNING: VERY HIGH T RATING
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

"Your grades are deteriorating. Your conduct is deplorable. And I've had three calls from the school. Do you know how hard it was to get you into that private school? I had to beg."

"I'm sorry, Mother." The girl fixed her gaze on the grandfather clock that stood behind her mother's desk. It ticked ominously, as if waiting to pronounce a sentence.

The tall, lithe woman sighed heavily, "Is it a boy?" She brushed her dyed blond hair back over her ears.

Her daughter's pale cheeks colored, "Of course not."

"You'd tell me if it was, wouldn't you dear?" The woman's deep blue eyes remained fixed on her laptop's screen, completely ignoring her daughter's answer.

The girl's pale, almost opaque, grey blue eyes never left the clock. "Of course, Mother."

"Good. Now go get ready for the dinner and make sure to wear the pearls I bought you." She added as an afterthought, "You're grounded till further notice, Chloe."

Chloe Danvers nodded, dark blond bangs falling over her forehead, "Yes Mother."

Her mother called to her, "Make sure you start dieting again, honey. You're looking fat."

Chloe said nothing, but her back stiffened. She walked out of the study and shut the door quietly. She bounded down the long hall of the penthouse until she reached her room. She kicked the door shut behind her, waltzed over to her bed and flopped onto the pillows. She rolled onto her back and held a pillow over her face. She lay still for a moment, then she rolled off the bed and smiled as she hit the floor.

A knock made her raise her head, "Yes?"

"I want you to wear something pretty. And no boots!"

"Yes Mother," Chloe called back.

She got to her feet and stalked to her closet. She yanked the doors open and started rifling through the clothes carelessly. She dropped tailored evening gowns, handmade cocktail dresses and designer shoes onto the floor carelessly. She sighed as her fingers brushed the scuffed cowboy boots. She passed them by, moving on to high heels that pinched her feet and made walking difficult.

Chloe turned away from the closet and walked to her bathroom. She turned on the shower and slid off her shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed at what she saw. A rounded stomach made a muffin top over the waistband of her jeans. Rolls of flab poked out from under an above her bra. Her thighs were thick and she frowned as she looked down at them. She sighed and turned away from her reflection.

Chloe found a headband and slid it on. Once her hair was smoothed back, she picked up a toothbrush, walked to the toilet and knelt down. She slid the handle of the toothbrush into the back of her throat. Her body shook as she puked up the contents of her stomach. When she had finished, she stood shakily and undressed. She stepped into the shower, turning her face up to the spray of hot water. She pulled the headband off and ran her fingers through her hair, combing out the tangles and letting the water soak in.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX**

Several hours later, they stood in the private elevator that went directly to the penthouse of the building. Chloe was shifting uncomfortably. Her mother was primping, smoothing her hair and reapplying her lipstick while looking at her reflection in the small compact mirror. She licked her lips as she said, "Chloe, make sure you're nice. I don't want you do anything to embarrass me."

Her mother adjusted her shimmery silver, full length, v-neck dress, with a slash up the left side that exposed her toned, tanned leg and two slashes on the torso that bared her ribcage. She wore a thin chain of white gold with a small oval locket that hung directly between her breasts. She pushed her breasts up and made sure the dress's fit enhanced her already impressive cleavage. The long V shaped cut down the back of the dress reached the base of her spine. Her hair was styled into a high ponytail, with long spiraling curls tumbling over her shoulders and down her back. She carried a small, silver purse. She snapped the compact mirror shut and slid it and the lipstick back into her purse. Then she looked down at Chloe, "You look pretty."

Chloe's pale pink, scoop necked dress reached her mid-thigh. The sleeves barely covered the tops of her shoulders. The lacy design was a slightly darker thread than the rest of the pale pink dress. Her high heeled pink and gold shoes gave her several extra inches. Her hair was pulled behind her head in a long, low pony tail, with the same sort of spiraling curls as her mother's. Her purse was larger, pink and covered in delicate lace. She wore a single strand of seed pearls around her neck. Chloe scowled at her mother, "This dress is too tight. It's too short. The shoes are pinching my feet, how will I be able to do anything productive? My hair is freakishly stiff. And I have mascara making my eyelashes stick together!"

"I don't know why you're complaining. You wear so much eye makeup already."

"That's eye liner and it's not sticky."

Her mother ignored her comment and adjusted the strand of pearls around Chloe's neck and said sadly, "You've put some weight on."

"I'm a hundred pounds, how is that overweight?"

Dana sighed, "When I was your age, I weighed one ninety-five exactly."

Chloe asked, "Do you know how many girls would kill to weigh a hundred pounds?"

"Do you know how many more girls would kill to weigh ninety-five pounds?"

Chloe mumbled. "It's your fault. You're the one who banded me from the gym."

Dana rubbed her thumb under her right eye, removing a small stain of mascara, "You weren't taking the classes I booked for you."

"You booked me for yoga!"

"It's effective."

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, drawing blood and stopping her sharp retort from escaping. The elevator's doors opened and her mother swept out. Chloe skulked out, keeping her back against the wall. She slid toward the refreshment table, but her mother's call stopped her dead, "Chloe, honey, come meet my old friend Mr. Wayne."

Chloe flinched, but as she turned she plastered a convincing smile on her face. She flitted over, making sure she moved lightly and her heels made no noise as they came down on the floor. She smiled up at the tall, handsome, dark haired man. She blinked, batting her lashes as she asked coyly, "Mr. Wayne?"

He smiled, "You must be Dana's little girl. The pagent winner?"

Chloe bit her lower lip, "Oh, she told you about that." She stared up at him, assessing. His clothes were well cut, showing off his muscular figure.

He held out a large, calloused hand, "She enjoys bragging about you."

Chloe shook his hand. She blinked at the strength in his grip and looked up at him. She looked him in the eyes, but only for a moment. Then she looked down and said, "It's rather embarrassing."

Dana put a long arm around Chloe's shoulders. Her voice was honeyed, the dulcet tones of her Georgian roots even more pronounced, "Mr. Wayne, I know it's a lot to ask, but I've heard you have a son about Chloe's age. If it's not too much trouble, could you ask him to show Chloe around? If it's not too much of an imposition, of course."

Wayne smiled, "He'll be happy to." He glanced around, then he smiled and called, "Damian, come here."

A dark haired boy, blue eyes wary and a pleasant smile plastered on his face, "Yes, Father?"

Wayne smiled at Chloe as he said, "This is my son, Damian. Damian, this is Chloe. Would you keep an eye on her?"

Damian's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Chloe, then he nodded at his father. She returned the look, then said chirpily, "It's nice to meet you."

The boy smiled, "The same, I'm sure." He inclined his head, "Come this way."

Chloe followed him, smile dropping from her face. She waited till she was out of her mother's line of sight, then she tugged on the back of the boy's jacket and said, "I'll be fine."

She strode away, grabbing a glass of punch and several large pieces of cake. She slipped through the crowd, heading toward the huge glass doors. Chloe walked out onto the balcony. She leaned against the railing and balanced the plate beside her. She looked over the edge, resting on her elbows and rising onto the balls of her feet. The wind buffeted her hair and she knew the curls were no longer perfect.

"Don't fall. It would kill the mood."

She glanced back at Damian, "I should jump. My mother would milk the publicity."

"She would." Damian stepped up beside her.

Chloe indicated the cake, "Want some?"

"No."

"What are you doing out here?"

"I told my father I would keep an eye on you."

"Technically, you never said anything. You just nodded."

"It was still a confirmation."

Chloe slid a hand under her skirt, "Whatever."

Damian blinked, "What are you –"

Chloe pulled out a lighter and a packet of cigarettes. She pulled one out and slid it in her mouth. She held the lighter up and raised a brow challengingly at Damian, "You gonna tell?"

"Those things will kill you."

Chloe lit the cigarette and tipped her head back as she sucked in a deep breath. "I know. But I want a smoker's voice. It would make me sound scary."

She took the cigarette out of her mouth and held it over the balcony with two fingers. She looked down at the traffic, straining to hear the noise over the classical music coming from the penthouse. Chloe looked at Damian, "Did you say something?"

"I said, even with a smoker's voice you wouldn't be scary."

"Neither would you," She paused, then muttered, "Shorty."

Damian's eyes narrowed, "Rude."

Chloe smiled, "I know."

"Where are you from?"

"Oh, all over," Chloe turned and leaned her back against the rails, holding herself up with her elbows. She kicked off her shoes and asked, "Should I throw them over the edge?"

"They're your shoes."

"They're crap."

She leaned down and tossed them over the edge. She laughed as she watched the shoes get smaller. Chloe blinked at Damian, "Something wrong?"

"Are you high?"

"No. Tried it once, but it got boring." Chloe glanced back into the penthouse, "Well, our parental units seem to have hit it off just fine."

Damian glanced over his shoulder, "He always does. But not with her type."

"What do you mean 'her type'?"

"The type with kids," Damian clarified.

"They met a few years ago." Chloe bit her lip, "Old friends."

"They usually are."

Chloe looked down at her bare feet, "I doubt she'll be going home tonight."

"Not to your place anyway," Damian answered.

Chloe smiled, "So, what do you want to do?"

"Do," Damian asked slowly.

"Hey, if you wanna go home and listen to them all night, and trust me, it will be all night, be my guest." Chloe grinned, "I've got better things to do with my night than wait for my mom to get home."

Damian looked disgusted, "You've got to be joking."

"Not exactly, I have an entire night free of an overbearing mother and I've always wanted to see Gotham's nightlife up close and very personal."

Damian's brows went up, "You obviously don't know Gotham."

"I want to. I'm going, whether you come or not, and I intend to have a good time. Besides, you said it earlier; you told your dad you'd keep an eye on me." She grinned, "Are you in?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Well, this is chapter one. I know Chloe's weird. Trust me, I'm working on it. If you liked it: Review! **


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Chloe climbed out of the cab, "Thank you." She tossed the man several bills and waited impatiently for Damian to get out.

The driver glanced over his shoulder at Damian. His tired eyes were dark, "That's the first kid who's thanked me in fifteen years."

Damian sighed, "She's not from Gotham."

Chloe grabbed his wrist, eyes bright, "Come on!"

Damian pulled free and walked beside her. He looked down at her bare feet and observed, "Your feet will be messed up in a few hours."

"I'll be fine. I used to walk all over my grandpa's ranch barefoot."

Damian asked casually, "Where was that?"

Chloe jumped over a small pile of broken glass. "Your interest is so sweet. But save it for someone who's closer to your age." She smiled down at the boy, "By the way, how old are you?"

"Thirteen," Damian answered, voice cold and angry as he followed her as best he could.

"Oh," Chloe hid her smile, "You're a little young for me."

"You can't be much older."

Chloe merely smiled. Damian frowned and asked, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

Damian grabbed her arm as she started to cross a street, "I seriously doubt that."

Chloe smiled, "Okay, so I'm only fourteen, but guys usually believe me." She looked down, "You gonna let me go, or is cutting off the circulation to my arm your plan?"

He released her as if she burned him. Chloe looked around, "This place is incredible."

Damian looked around the dark alleys and dirty streets, "Are you sure you're not high?"

Chloe knelt and ran her fingers along the cracked sidewalk, "It's so old."

"You are going to wash your hands, aren't you?"

She got to her feet and flitted down the sidewalk, her pink dress oddly ethereal in the dingy light. Chloe looked back at Damian. He was looking around, eyes taking everything in. She stopped and said, "Is something wrong?"

"This isn't a good neighborhood."

"We'll be fine."

Damian's mouth turned down, "I should leave you here. I don't care if you die."

"Go ahead, I'll be fine."

"You don't know how to get back."

"I know where _my_ hotel is, that's what's important."

They walked a little farther, until a small noise caught Chloe's attention. She glanced up at the window and smiled at the little girl who stared fixedly at her through the glass. She walked up the steps and knocked on the door. The girl disappeared from the window and a second later the door opened. Chloe knelt and looked the big eyed Latino girl. She smiled and asked, "How old are you?"

The girl answered softly, "Six."

Chloe undid the pearls around her neck and brushed back the girl's hair. She fastened the pearls around the girl's thin neck and put a finger over the girl's lips, "Don't tell anyone."

The girl nodded, eyes getting bigger as she touched the pearls. Chloe turned her around and said, "Go back inside and go to sleep."

She waited till the door had shut and she heard the lock snap into place. Chloe turned and bounded back down the steps. She smiled at Damian, "What?"

"What were you doing?"

Chloe shrugged, "I thought she'd like them."

Damian sputtered, "But – but they must've cost –"

"Almost a thousand dollars," Chloe shrugged, "It's just something to make her happy."

Damian stared at her, "You're an idiot."

"Says the brat," Chloe held up her hands as Damian frowned, "Okay, okay, I give. I'm an idiot."

Damian smiled thinly, "I'm so glad you realize that."

Chloe laughed and stayed quiet for a moment, then she asked suddenly, "You do know those men are following us, right?"

"Yes. I was trying to figure out what to do about them."

Chloe's eyes lit up, "Do they have guns?"

Damian looked unconcerned, "This is Gotham. The possibility they have guns is very high."

"Oh good," She grinned, "That'll make it fair." Chloe grabbed Damian's arm and pulled him into an alley. Her eyes danced as she said, "You'll want to stay behind something."

"You're going to get yourself killed." Damian predicted as he leaned against the wall and smirked.

"I will not!" Chloe opened her purse and pulled out a can of pepper spray.

Damian stared at the pepper spray, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Look, I've been stuck in a penthouse for weeks. I've had to go to nine spas, shop for hours on end. And I've been banned from my punching bag! I'm not having a good month!"

The men rounded the corner. Damian grabbed the spray and said, "I know them." He looked devious, "I want to spray them."

Chloe put her head on one side, "I didn't peg you for the kind to have fun."

"This is not fun. This is vengeance. They got me grounded." Damian's mouth was a thin line and his eyes were dark with fury.

"Spray away," Chloe said amusedly.

The taller man reached them and smiled warmly at Chloe, "Hello." He turned on Damian, "Put the pepper spray down. Or I will lock you in Jason's closet with his dirty clothes hamper."

Chloe let out a strangled cough. Damian looked up at both the grinning dark haired, blue eyed men. He scowled fiercely, "What do you want?"

The taller one looked nervously at Chloe, "Have the two of you done anything, anything at all?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "No." She smirked, "I was planning on kissing him, but it hasn't happened yet."

Damian stared at her, eyes wide, "Really?"

Her laughter was mocking as she said, "No. I don't go for younger guys."

Damian sighed, "Shut up." He shot her a glare, then looked back at the men, "What do you want?"

"We're just looking out for our little brother." The shorter man wrapped an arm around Damian's neck and rubbed his knuckles against Damian's skull.

Damian snarled, "Unhand me, Todd!"

Chloe stared at him, "Who says 'unhand' nowadays? What century were you born in?"

Todd grinned, "What was that Dami? Couldn't hear ya?"

Damian gagged, the arm around his throat making him turn an unhealthy purple, "Lemme go!"

Chloe frowned, "You might wanna let go of him. I don't really want to explain a body."

Todd glanced at her, releasing Damian, the smile dropping from his face. Chloe frowned at him, "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," The taller man put his head on one side, "Look, Bruce asked us to find the two of you. He wants you back at that Dana woman's penthouse."

Chloe asked suddenly, "How did you know where to find us?" She received no answer. Then her mouth fell open and she laughed at Damian, "Tracking device, right?"

Damian sighed disgustedly, "My father is overly cautious."

"I can tell." Chloe smiled, "Even my mom's not that bad."

The tall man sighed, "We should get back. It's going to be a very long night."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX**

Dana rushed to Chloe the moment the elevator door opened. She brushed back Chloe's hair, kissed her forehead, and frowned sadly as she shook her head, "Your feet are black! Where are your shoes?"

Chloe scowled at her mother, rubbing frantically at the lipstick stain, "I threw them off the balcony."

"They cost eight hundred dollars!"

"They weren't worth eight cents. I couldn't walk!"

"Beauty is pain honey."

Chloe sat on the edge of the couch, grinding her teeth hard. She crossed her legs and narrowed her eyes at her mother, "What did you do?"

Bruce and Dana exchanged glances, both with red cheeks and awkward, jerky movements. Chloe's mouth fell open, "Oh, oh, God! You didn't! No!" She gagged and put her head in her hands.

Damian glanced at her, noting her flushed cheeks and disgusted expression. Then it dawned on him and he glared at his father, "You didn't."

Bruce cleared his throat, cheeks red, "Apparently I did. I'm not sure it's true though."

"It had better not be true!" Damian snapped.

Chloe stared at her mother, "Are you serious? You didn't!"

Dana nodded. Her mother's eyes were watery and her cheeks were red. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I know I should've told –"

"You should've told me? Really? You're actually going to say that!" Chloe blinked, her jaw tightening, "Why didn't you tell me?" She jumped to her feet. She grabbed an antique vase and threw it against the wall, "Why the hell didn't you tell me!"

She stood still for a moment, breathing hard. Then her body relaxed and she walked over to the broken vase. Damian beat her to it; he knelt and began clearing up the glass. Chloe bent to help him. He looked up at her, "Good thing you didn't kiss me."

Chloe let out a choked laugh, "Yeah, it looks like it."

She glanced back at the grownups. They sat across from each other, both red faced and awkward. Chloe murmured, "I'm sorry."

"How is any of this your fault?"

Chloe paused for a second, then smiled uneasily, "It's not, but things will get messy now."

She took the shards and headed to the kitchen. The two tall men, Jason and Dick looked up when they appeared. Chloe dropped the pottery into the trash and glanced at them, "Comfy?"

Dick grinned, straight white teeth bright, "Yeah." He put his head on one side, "So, how's it going?"

Damian snarled, "How do you think?"

Jason smiled, "Really awkwardly. But I suppose it would." He looked at Dick, "Sometimes I like not being related to Bruce really."

Dick smiled, "It is. We get the perks and we don't have to be associated with his womanizing ways."

Jason smirked, "I'd hate to have that sort of reputation."

"Oh, so would I," Dick grinned.

Damian glared at them, "Shut up."

Chloe sat down, rubbing the inside of her left ankle carefully. All three boys glanced at her. She looked at them challengingly, "Anything you want to say?"

Dick smiled at her, eyes friendly, "Not really, it's not like this is your fault."

"It's technically Bruce's. He's the one who f–"

Damian snarled at Jason, "Shut your mouth, Todd."

Chloe put her head on one side, "You're all really weird. Were any of you dropped on your heads when you were kids?"

Dick shrugged, "We threw Damian down a flight of stairs a year or two ago. He got a concussion. And when Jay was a kid, I hit with a baseball bat. Then he got me back with a frying pan to the head."

Chloe rolled her eyes, rubbing harder at her ankle, "I knew it."

Jason looked at her ankle, "What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No." Chloe held her leg up and away from her. The two small black dots stood out starkly just above her ankle. "It's psychosomatic."

"What happened?" Dick asked. He looked at her ankle, head on one side.

"Snake bite," Chloe answered blithely.

Damian shook his head, "Aren't you going to explain?"

"I was messing around in some long grass and upset a snake. It bit me." Chloe shrugged. "No one else was around, so I sat down, strapped my belt just under my knee as tight as I could, cut open the bite and sucked out the venom."

"That was a stupid idea." Damian snapped. He poked the marks.

Chloe stuck out her tongue, "Venom doesn't kill you if you ingest it. Besides, I was ten miles away from home and when the snake bit me I fell and broke my phone when I landed. I prefer doing something stupid that might work, over doing nothing."

Damian snapped, "I know venom isn't poisonous." Then he looked curious, "How did you manage to suck out the venom? It was on your ankle."

Chloe's eyes danced wickedly, "I'm extremely flexible."

Jason laughed at the blush that rose on Damian's cheeks. Bruce appeared in the doorway. He looked tired and annoyed, "Boys, let's go."

The three got to their feet. Chloe looked down, then bit her lip and said, "Bye Mr. Wayne."

Bruce said nothing as they walked to the door. Chloe followed quickly. She stuck her head out and called, "See you round!"

She shut the door.

She pressed her ear to the door and listened to the retreating footsteps. After a moment, Chloe stalked toward her mother. She put her hands on her hips and spoke slowly, voice shaking, "What were you thinking? You told him I was his kid! Did the two of you even do it?"

Dana raised her brows, "I don't like your tone, young lady."

Chloe spoke slowly, "Did you do it?"

"No, but we have met. It's not like he'll know one way or the other."

Chloe stared at her, "We can't afford this! It's never going to work!"

"Wayne's an easy mark." Dana said confidently, "That man's left his DNA in enough places, no one will believe him if he tries to deny it."

"He'll do a paternity test! Gosh, Mother, didn't you think this through?" Chloe raked her hands through her hair, breathing hard.

"He's a mark. Baby, he's just like all the others."

"No! He's not!" Chloe sat down, hunching over her knees. "You didn't see his eyes! He's smart. He'd know if he'd been stupid enough not to use protection! He's also smart enough to remember sleeping with a sl- someone like you!"

Dana raised a brow, "Go to your room. I will not be spoken to in such a way."

Chloe stared at her, "You don't even care that you've just given away our location to Torrey do you?"

Dana looked down at her hands. She frowned, "I need a spa day."

Chloe said mockingly, "Yeah, because you have to look fabulous to ruin people's lives."

Dana sighed, "This would be much easier if you hadn't decided you wanted out. We'd have the family to help. After all, Blood is Thicker than Water."

Chloe turned on her mother, "That is complete and utter crap."

Dana's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Go to your room."

Chloe walked down the hall to her room. She locked it behind her and leaned against the door. She walked to her bathroom and turned on the shower. She grabbed a toothbrush and knelt down in front of the toilet. She slid the end of the toothbrush into the back of her throat. She felt bile rise and leaned over the still water as her body heaved and the contents of her stomach emptied into the bowl.

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**Thanks to: OpalFaye, I SEEE YOOUU, anon, Fell4, and Toshiro93 for their reviews! **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Chloe yawned as she opened the door. She rolled up the long sleeves of her huge shirt and retrieved the newspaper and pot of black coffee that sat outside. Her mother ordered them every morning like clockwork. Chloe blinked and scanned the paper. Then her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She walked to the balcony and pushed the door open. Dana sat on a low chair, robe open and face turned up to the sun. Chloe slammed the door shut and stalked over to her mother. Dana looked up at her, blinking lazily as she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"What is this?" Chloe held out the newspaper to her mother.

Dana blinked, her face was covered in a green mask and she had cucumbers over her eyes, "I'm not a mind reader dear, what is it?"

Chloe read out the headline out loud, "'Lovechild of Bruce Wayne and former Model Dana Danvers Reconnects with Long Lost Family.'"

Dana smiled, "Oh good, I was hoping it would make the morning edition!"

"Torrey will see this!"

Dana sighed, "How do you know?"

"I just do!"

"Of course dear."

"He's a psychopath! He'll find us!"

"You're being paranoid, dear."

"There's a difference between sense and paranoia!"

Dana asked suddenly, "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Chloe looked at her and rolled her eyes, "No."

Dana ignored her comment and got to her feet, "Darling, go get dressed. We're going shopping."

Chloe stared at her mother, mouth open, "Wha- are you crazy?"

"No. But you need some new clothes."

Chloe scowled, "You're just hoping a reporter will see you."

"Not _me_ dear, you're the daughter." Dana smiled, "They'll want to see you."

"Well, they can't. I'm not doing it!"

"I'm still your mother; you will do as I say."

Chloe's eyes narrowed, "Fine."

She stalked to her room.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX**

Chloe hunched her shoulders, pulling the collar of her thick, heavily padded jacket up and the brim of her hat down. Dana looked down at her, "Don't slouch."

Chloe crossed her arms, "I'm forced into this against my will."

The limo stopped and Dana glanced toward the door. She waited for it to open, then swung her long legs out. Chloe scrambled out, keeping her head low. She mumbled a quick 'thank you' to the driver, then followed her mother quickly and doing her best to hustle her mother into the store. Instead, Dana bent and adjusted the strap of her heeled shoe. She moved languidly, holding Chloe back slightly when she caught sight of a red haired woman.

Chloe looked toward the woman and hissed, "Mother!"

The woman approached quickly, "Dana Danvers?"

Dana turned, an inquisitive look on her face, "Yes?"

The woman smiled. She held out her hand as she introduced herself, "Vicki Vale."

Dana smiled, "It's nice to meet you, but, this might sound rude, should I know you?"

Vicki smiled, "I'm a reporter. I was hoping I could talk to you and your daughter. "

Dana blushed prettily, "Oh, well, I'm not sure if I should let her talk to reporters. I don't even know how the newspaper found out about this." She glanced around and called, "Chloe, come here, dear."

Chloe wandered over. She looked at the woman, but said nothing. Dana put a hand on her shoulder, "Ms. Vale, if you want to talk to my daughter, I must be present."

Chloe cut the woman off, "No offense, but I'm talking to anyone." She snapped at her mother, "You can do whatever you like."

She pulled away from her mother and took off, ducking quickly into the store, her well worn boots making almost no noise as she ran. Dana shook her head, "She's having a rough week. I'm so sorry." She smiled, "What do you want to talk about?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chloe stood still as Dana zipped up the dress. Dana walked round her, taking in the slinky black gown from every angle, "It's too tight."

"Maybe you should just get the dress in a different size," Chloe snapped.

Dana smiled, "Honey, it's easier for you to lose weight."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, sure it is."

She twisted as Dana pinched her side and said, "Look at this roll. It's huge."

Chloe scowled and pulled free, "Fine, I'll go on a diet."

Dana smiled, "Good. I'll order your meals for you."

Chloe climbed off the small stool and asked, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Just take the dress off first."

Chloe nodded and walked back to the changing room. She pulled off the dress and put her clothes on quickly. She walked to the bathroom and checked that she was alone. Then she slid into a stall and knelt. She forced herself to gag and instantly felt her stomach heave. The acidic bile made her throat burn and she felt her eyes tear up. Chloe's whole body shivered as she got to her feet. She walked out and rinsed her mouth at the sink. She spit the water out and looked behind her. Her eyes went wide when she caught sight of the red haired Vicki Vale standing behind her. The woman's mouth was twisted into the smug smile of a cat that just ate a canary. She pulled out a small notebook and asked, "Do you want to comment?"

"My breakfast didn't agree with me." Chloe said quickly. She smiled at the woman and looked down, letting her lashes sweep down her cheeks innocently as she said, "I'm so sorry I was rude when we met earlier. I'm a bit rushed this morning."

The woman smiled, "I suppose it is a bit of a shock to find out that your father's the Bruce Wayne."

Chloe blinked, "I'm pretty sure my mother has to agree before I talk to reporters."

She swept past the woman and hurried back to the changing room. She glanced at Dana and said, "Can we go now?"

Dana smiled at her, "If you want."

She glanced around and caught sight of a sales assistant. She waved the woman over and asked, "Can you have these sent to this address?"

The woman glanced at the address and smiled, "Of course."

Dana smiled at her, "Thank you." She turned to Chloe, "Come along."

Chloe followed her mother, walking quickly when she caught sight of Vicki Vale. She ducked her head as her mother smiled flirtatiously at a well dressed man who held the door open for them.

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**Here's chapter three, I hope you like it. Thanks to: Fell4, OpalFaye and Toshiro93 for their reviews. **


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

It was barely three o'clock when Chloe got back to the hotel. She headed through the lobby, nodding to the receptionist. She stood nervously in the elevator, shifting from foot to foot as she watched the small light move methodically up the rows of numbers. When she reached her floor, she walked to the penthouse quickly. She pulled her room key out and unlocked the door. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. She shut the door quietly behind her, leaning her forehead against the door for a moment. Chloe jumped as Dana snapped angrily, "Where have you been?"

Her mother's eyes were narrow and her makeup was smeared. A sliver of blood ran down her chin from a cut on her lip. Her expensive clothes were covered in dirt and ripped in several places. Chloe stared at her, one brow going up inquiringly, "What happened to you?"

Dana looked frightened, eyes darting around like a frightened animal's, "Torrey, he found us."

Chloe's eyes widened, "Where is he?"

Dana's eyes watered, widening as they fixed on something behind her. Chloe stared at her for a moment, then muttered, "Shi-"

She threw herself to one side, her hat falling off as she did. The man's swing went wild and the truncheon smashed into the wall, leaving a large hole behind. Dana fell back, curling up in a ball and whimpering. Chloe shouted at her, "Get out!"

The truncheon slammed into Chloe's shoulder and she let out a pained yelp. She rolled to one side, kicking a door open and crawling inside. She slammed the shut just in time to see that Dana had stayed where she was. Chloe's eyes narrowed when she saw the small smile on Dana's face.

She got to her feet, feeling the fire in her shoulder flare as she moved. She locked door. She felt the wood shiver as the man kicked it. Chloe ran through the halls. She closed every door she passed, knowing the man would have to check everyone to find her. She passed her door, going to the last three on the hall and closing them quickly. She went back to her room and slammed the door. Chloe didn't lock the door, knowing it would seem suspicious if she did.

Chloe dropped to her knees and grabbed a small, black compact backpack. She pulled it out and opened it quickly, checking the contents as ideas swirled in her brain. Dozens of rolls of hundred dollar bills stared up at her, along with a smaller bag filled with toiletries, makeup, a hairbrush and a compact mirror. Her backpack was filled with everything she would need in case of an emergency.

Chloe pulled out a small grappling hook, a harness and a coil of rope. She grabbed a ski mask from the bed post and pulled it over her head as she headed to the mirror. She stopped for a moment, then shoved the rope and grappling hook back in the backpack. She scampered out into the hall, catching sight of the man a few doors away. She ran down the hall, looking for the small laundry chute. She had canvassed the penthouse when she and her mother first moved in.

The laundry chute was the best and fastest escape route.

She climbed in and crossed her arms over her chest as she slid down the chute faster than she'd anticipated. She landed hard in the clothes basket and ended up covered by the blankets. Chloe shoved them off her and clambered out of the hamper. She grabbed her backpack and ran out the door.

She rolled the ski mask up, making sure her face was exposed. She sauntered out the door; paying no attention to anyone she passed. Chloe flagged down a cab and slid in. She smiled at the driver, "What's the biggest store around here?"

The man glanced at her scruffy clothes, "Bergdorf's."

"Step on it."

Chloe sat back and pulled off the ski mask. She stuffed it into the backpack and crossed her legs regally. When the cab reached the store, she climbed out and handed the man a hundred dollar bill. She smiled, "Have a nice day sir."

She strode confidently through the doors and looked around. The small of leather and perfume hit her and she smiled. She ducked her head, making sure no cameras would be able to catch a clear picture of her face. Chloe walked straight for the teen's clothing section. She pushed through the crowds, grabbing several shirts, all different sizes and one for a boy, and several pairs of pants, also one pair of boy's pants, as she went. She grabbed a hoodie, a long trench coat and baseball cap.

Chloe walked to the changing rooms and found an empty stall. She locked the door behind her. Chloe stripped. She sat down and began pulling off the tags of the clothing. She checked them carefully for magnetic strips, but only found one. That shirt, she dropped and ignored.

She pulled on the softest, most flexible pair of tight skinny jeans, knowing she would need the extra leeway. Then she slid on the baggier, boy's pair and let them sag around her hips. She pulled on the tightest shirt first, then her own shirt over the top of it. Then the boy's shirt over that. It was huge and covered her minimal curves. She pulled off the ski mask and shoved it deep into the pants pocket. She put on the baseball cap and stuffed her hair under. She inspected her reflection carefully; making sure no one would question her. She pulled on her shoes, glad she had worn her sneakers. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she stuffed an extra pair of jeans, and the trench coat into her backpack. She swung the pack over shoulder and headed out.

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Chloe pulled off the boy's shirt and pants. She wadded them up and lobbed them into a nearby dumpster. She pulled out the trench coat and slid it on. She flipped her hair over the top of the collar and smoothed it carefully. Chloe pulled her tazer out of the backpack and slid it into her pocket. She zipped the backpack and swung it over her left shoulder. She started to walk out of the alley, but she heard a small noise behind her. She whirled, hand flashing down to the tazer. She pointed it at the person behind her.

The skinny, red haired boy flinched, "Sorry!"

Chloe's eyes narrowed, "What are you doing? Were you following me?"

The kid shook his head, "No."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I was taking a walk." He raised his brows at her, "What are you doing? I don't normally see a girl stripping, at least not without all her clothes coming off."

Chloe raised her brows, "Your tough guy act is cute, but drop it or I'll tazer you."

He looked down, "Sorry."

Chloe put the tazer away, "That's better."

She turned and began to walk away. The boy called to her, "Do you need somewhere to stay?"

Chloe tossed her answer mockingly, "You wish, little man."

He called to her, "If you're sure –"

"I am." Chloe replied. She turned around and smiled at the boy, "Look, I'm sorry I'm so grumpy. I'm not having a very good day." She held out a hand, "Can we start over?" She blinked, "I'm Pam."

The boy smiled and shook her hand, "I'm Colin. Colin Wilkes."

Chloe smiled, "I can't stay now, but if I want to get in touch with you later, how do I?"

Colin shrugged, "I'll find you." He turned and walked down the alley, "See you round, Chloe."

She blinked. Her mouth fell open and she stayed still. She scowled at his back and called, "How did you know that?"

Colin stopped and smiled at her, "Do you really want to know?"

She stalked toward him, "Yes."

Colin grinned, "Come on." He walked down the alley and knelt down. He pulled up the cover of a manhole and started climbing down the ladder.

Chloe followed Colin to the manhole and knelt, looking down at him. He climbed quickly down the small ladder and looked up at Chloe, "You coming?"

She shook her head and crossed her arms, "I am not getting in there."

Colin shrugged. He turned and began walking through the shin high water, "Okay. See you round."

Chloe scowled and climbed down carefully. She looked down at the murky water. She gave Colin a pleading glance, "This is gross."

He shook his head, "I have a shower."

Chloe winced as she stepped into the water. She gagged, but caught up with the boy quickly. She glared at him, "I don't like you."

"I don't really care." Colin turned down a side tunnel. "You don't have to like me."

"Oh good," Chloe grimaced as a rat scuttled past them. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Colin led her down the tunnels for another fifteen minutes. He eventually stopped at another ladder and began clambering up it. Chloe followed quickly and tried to look around, but Colin moved quickly. He pulled a bandana out of his pocket and tied it around Chloe's eyes. She snarled and asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

Colin sounded apologetic, "You can't know where you are. It's a rule."

Chloe sighed and held out a hand, "Fine."

A hand grabbed hers.

Chloe frowned.

The hand was clad in a leather glove. Colin wasn't wearing leather gloves.

She jerked her hand away and started to tug off the blindfold. The hands grabbed hers and forced them behind her back. Chloe didn't try struggling, the grip was tight and she knew she had little chance of pulling free. She was shoved forward. She stumbled, and used her toes to guide her along.

The hands changed position, pulling her hands in front of her and holding them tightly as they led her up a flight of stairs. They pushed her into an uncomfortable metal chair. A cold metal bracelet was snapped around her right wrist and around the arm of the chair. The blindfold was pulled off and she blinked.

Her mouth fell open. She glared at Colin, "Creep."

He shrugged, "Hey, don't blame me. It was his idea."

Her furious gaze snapped to the masked vigilante, Robin. She snapped, "What do you want?"

"I want to know what's going on."

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**Thanks to Fell4, Toshiro93 and OpalFaye for the reviews. **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Chloe snapped angrily at the two boys, "I'm not telling you two anything." She tugged experimentally on the cuffs, but discovered they were very real and too tight for her to slip her wrist free. She narrowed her eyes at the boys and stayed still.

Robin scowled, his voice low and threatening, "Then you're not going anywhere."

She looked surprised, "You'd keep me here?"

Colin blinked worriedly as Robin said firmly, "Yes."

Chloe shrugged, "Fine."

Colin and Robin exchanged glances. Chloe crossed her legs regally and said loftily, "If I'm staying, I will expect dinner."

Colin looked at Robin, "Will I be blamed for kidnapping?"

Robin snapped, "No."

At the same time, Chloe smirked and said, "Yes."

Colin's head drooped, "Great." He straightened, "Okay, I'll go get dinner. Does anyone object to McDonalds?"

"Yes!" Chloe and Damian snapped.

Colin looked put out, "But I want it."

Chloe sighed, "How about Indian?"

Colin looked at Damian pleadingly, "Do I have to?"

Damian replied, "Tt, no."

Chloe mocked him, Tt, yes. If you don't get me the food I want, I will make you both miserable."

Colin looked between the two. He backed away and said, "I'll go get the Indian."

"Why are you doing what she told you to do?"

"Because not doing what a girl tells you, is even crazier than not doing what your dad tells you."

"Tt, you're exaggerating."

"Oh, trust me, he isn't," Chloe called.

"You shut up," Damian snapped.

"So, should I go get Indian?"

Colin looked between the two as he asked the question. When he received no answer, he shrugged and headed for the door. When he had left, Chloe waited a few seconds, she lashed out with her right leg. She caught Robin on the left thigh. He yelped and glared at her. Chloe smiled sweetly, "Your little boyfriend is pretty cute."

"Tt, he's not my boyfriend."

"Denial," Chloe answered.

Robin frowned, "Shut up."

Chloe sighed, "I'm just making conversation." She glanced around, "Pretty shabby set up for the great Boy Wonder. Or, is this not baby bird's nest?"

Robin said nothing. Instead, he sat down and crossed his legs. He shut his eyes and stayed very quiet. Chloe watched him. She moved silently as she leaned down, slid her fingers under the tongue of her shoe and pulled out small nail file and a tiny screwdriver. She held them carefully and began working them around in the lock of handcuffs.

Robin turned and caught sight of the tools. Chloe moved fast and slid the tools down her shirt. She narrowed her eyes at Robin, "If you reach in there, I will find out who you are and file a sexual harassment suit."

He reddened slightly, "Tt, I wasn't planning on it." Robin stepped back and grabbed another chair. He turned it backward and sat down, staring at Chloe intently. He asked quickly, "Who are you?"

"Chloe Leslie Anise Isadora Odette Jeanette Willow Malia Ursula Irene –"

The left side of the boy's mask twitched and Chloe grinned, knowing she had struck a nerve. He spoke slowly, "Just your first and last name."

"Chloe Danvers."

"Where are you from?"

"Specifically?"

"How old are you?"

Chloe started to answer, then she frowned. Her mouth fell open and she snapped, "No!"

Robin frowned, "What's wrong?"

"You already know how old I am. You already asked me."

"I did?"

"You know I did," Chloe answered.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Chloe smiled, "Of course you do." She leaned forward, "Damian Wayne." She waved a hand gracefully, "Don't bother denying it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Look, I did my homework before we moved here." Chloe used her free hand to accentuate her points. "Your dad is the _only_ man rich enough to be the Bat. Your toys cost a lot. There have been four male Robins, and your dad has three wards and you. Four." She smiled, "And, besides, you have a very slight, and when I say 'very' I do mean very, slight accent. If you know how to spot these things, and I do, it's pretty easy to distinguish. I'd recommend not talking till you get rid of it."

Robin scowled, "Shut up."

"Ooh, touched a nerve?"

"I will gag you."

"Put your hands near my mouth, and I promise you will lose a finger." Chloe clicked her teeth together loudly for effect.

Robin looked at her sourly, "Just be quiet."

Chloe shrugged, "Whatever."

Robin suddenly looked up at her, "Is my voice really that obvious?"

"And that's what I was waiting for."

"You mean you didn't know?"

"No. How could I? I was bluffing like crazy."

He stared at her. Then his face fell, "My father will not be pleased."

Chloe put her head on one side, "Why?"

"I was trained. I should be able to disguise my voice."

Chloe shook her head, "So should I, but I never bother." She paused, then asked, "How did you keep tabs on me? I'm pretty sure you didn't get a chance to put a tracking device on me."

Damian shrugged, "There wasn't one. I saw you wandering around when Alfred was driving me home from school. I called Colin."

"I should've been more careful." Chloe shook her head.

"You're sloppy. It's unprofessional."

The skin beneath her eyes tightened for a moment, but she kept her voice light, "I know. I'll work on it."

The door opened and Colin reappeared. He carried a huge white bag. He smiled hugely at them, "I ordered a lot."

Chloe grinned, "Good. I'm hungry."

Colin handed her the bag, "I didn't know what you liked –"

Chloe opened the bag and her eyes lit up, "Ooh, the lamb! You're good!"

Robin scowled and sat moodily on his chair as he waited for the food to be passed his way. Colin looked at Chloe, "What's wrong with him?"

"Oh, I figured out who he is. It's hurt his ego."

Colin rolled his eyes, "He does that."

Robin pulled off his mask and said, "Shut up."

Chloe and Colin exchanged glances. They both tried in vain to hide their grins. Damian pointed at them, "I have no problem with beating you both."

Chloe raised her brows, "Wouldn't your daddy be proud?"

"Tt, you have no room to talk." Damian snapped.

Chloe started to speak, but Colin interrupted, "What are you talking about?"

Damian put a hand over Chloe's mouth, "Her mother tried to con my father into believing that _she_ was his daughter. _She_ got cold feet."

Chloe let out a mumbled snarl of words. Colin glanced at her, "Is that true?"

She nodded. He frowned, "That's stupid."

Chloe jerked her head free, "That's what I told my mother! She wouldn't listen to me."

Damian acted as if he hadn't heard her, "Tt, she even came to my house and tried to make my father feel sorry for her."

Chloe kicked out at him, "I was telling him the truth."

"You can't fault her if she's telling the truth," Colin pointed out.

Damian snarled at him, "Don't take her side!"

Colin held up his hands, "Okay. Calm down."

Damian and Chloe glared at each other. Colin held up the curry, "Anyone hungry?"

Chloe turned to him with a smile, "At least you're nice."

Damian mumbled, "I don't need to be nice."

"It wouldn't hurt you to try." Chloe replied.

Colin smiled, "You two are weird."

Damian snapped, "She called you my boyfriend."

Colin shrugged, "So?"

"Isn't that insulting?" Damian asked slowly.

"I've been called worse."

Chloe smiled at him, "You have a sense of humor."

Colin looked at her innocently, "Do I?"

Chloe giggled. "You're totally adorable."

Damian choked. Chloe glanced at him, "Are you okay?"

He glared at her, "Tt, I'm fine."

Chloe looked at him, then glanced at Colin, "How old are you?"

"I'm ten."

Chloe glanced at Damian, "How old is the grouchy ass?"

"He's ten too."

"Really, I assumed he was older." Chloe thought for a moment, "I suppose my mother did too. That's wh-" Chloe rolled her eyes, "Ew."

Damian ignored her final words as he said loftily, "Tt, many people have made that mistake. I've been told I am mature for my age."

Chloe didn't look at Damian as she glanced at Colin and said, "He's an ass."

Colin grinned, "I know."

Damian scowled, "I'm sitting right here!"

Colin looked at him and asked mildly, "Did you tell anyone where we were?"

"No. I'm not supposed to be near her."

Chloe put her head on one side, "Why?"

Damian looked down, "My father isn't completely sure you're not his daughter."

Chloe blinked, "What?"

Damian looked down, "He's not sure."

Colin winced, "Well, this is a little awkward."

Damian and Chloe said nothing. They merely looked away from each other and went red. Colin glanced at Chloe, indicating the food as he asked, "Is it good?"

Chloe had barely touched the food, "Yes." She took a large bite, savoring the taste.

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**Well, Damian has been killed in the New 52. I was in tears for nearly an hour. I want to kill whoever had the stupid idea to kill him off (Yes, I know Grant Morrison was the writer, but until I know for sure it was his idea to kill Damian, he's safe. If anyone knows why they decided to kill Damian or whose idea it was, let me know). I know he was grumpy, psychotic, bratty, vicious, slightly evil and totally annoying, but I love him! He's precious! He was tied for favorite Bird Boy with Tim, but now he's taken the lead. **

**Anyway, enough of the rant and onto the 'Thank Yous.' Thanks to: VFell4, Toshiro93, and OpalFaye for their reviews. **


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Colin glanced up at the knock on the door. He got to his feet and scampered toward it. The radio was playing the news quietly. Chloe groaned, feeling bored, as she shifted in the chair, "My back hurts. When are you going to uncuff me?"

Damian stood up, "If it'll shut you up, I'll uncuff you."

"Okay," Chloe answered quickly.

Damian bent down unlocked the cuff. Chloe stood quickly, so fast that Damian didn't have time to move. She bulled into him, her shoulder slamming into his gut. Damian's breath exploded, but he still had the presence of mind to grab the back of her neck and pull her over. Chloe fell and Damian jumped for her. Chloe kicked out at him, trying to catch him on the kneecap. Her legs tangled with his and they fell, Damian landing on her hips and one hand tangling in her hair. They stared at each other, Damian going red and Chloe raising a brow skeptically. Damian had just started to get up when a scandalized voice asked, "What are you doing?"

They looked toward Dick. He was staring at them, eyes wide and mouth open. Chloe sat up, shoving Damian hard. She fluffed her hair as she blushed and said, "This is almost as embarrassing as when my top came off at beach party."

Dick suddenly looked interested, "What happened?"

Chloe shrugged, "I acted like it was intentional, and all the other girls did the same thing. By the end of the night everyone was naked and there were several -" She cut herself off when Colin walked in.

Dick stared at her anxiously, "What happened?"

Chloe frowned at him, "Not in front of the baby."

Colin noted the hard glare Dick was throwing him and asked hesitantly, "Should I go away?"

Chloe grabbed him around the neck. She pulled him close and said, "No. You're staying."

Dick and Damian glared at the red haired boy. Colin leaned against Chloe's chest and grinned. Dick looked amused, Damian disapproving. Colin asked innocently, "Is she staying here overnight?"

Dick shook his head, "No. Alfred said she's staying with us."

"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?" Chloe asked, she grabbed her backpack and slid it on, just in case she needed to move quickly.

Dick's eyes narrowed, "We're not letting _you_ out of our sight."

Chloe released Colin and stepped back. She whirled and made a dash for the door, but Dick moved fast. He grabbed her under the knees and swung her over his shoulder. Chloe clawed the back of his neck, raking her nails along his skin viciously and drawing blood. Dick hissed and almost dropped her. Chloe struggled and squirmed, hissing insults and pulling Dick's hair as hard as she could. Damian nodded to Colin, "Call if you need anything."

Colin smiled at him, "I will." He called after them, "Don't lose her!"

Chloe snarled, "I'll start screaming the minute you get me out that door."

Damian pointed out, "This is Gotham, no one will care."

Chloe scowled, "Fine. I'll get lose and cut off your -"

Dick tightened his grip, "Don't finish that sentence."

Chloe laughed and stopped struggling. She rested her chin in her hands and asked, "Will I get dinner?"

Damian glanced at her, "If Alfred has anything to say about it, you will." He poked her side, "You're freakishly skinny."

"Eh, I know," Chloe grinned, "It's weird."

Dick adjusted his grip. His shoulder dug into Chloe's stomach and she winced. Chloe suddenly gagged. Her face went white and she trembled. Her arms shook, "Put me down, I'm going to hurl."

Dick dropped her. Chloe got to her feet and swallowed hard. Her legs shook and she swayed. She waved Dick away as he tried to grab her arm. She blinked, "I'm fine."

Damian glanced at her, "Do you need to eat?"

"I already ate." Chloe snapped.

Colin pointed out, "That _was_ hours ago."

Dick interrupted, putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder, "She can eat when we get her back to the house."

As they walked to the door, the news report caught Chloe's attention. She suddenly stopped and looked at Colin. Her eyes narrowed, "Turn that up." She shouted, "Turn it up now!"

Colin did as he was ordered. The report was just finishing, but Chloe still managed to hear enough. She looked at Dick, "I have to go."

She slid her hand down her shirt and pulled out the screwdriver. She stabbed it into Dick's thigh, twisted it viciously, pulled it out slowly, and whirled away gracefully, long hair swirling around her face like a cloud. Damian and Colin stayed away from her, both looking at the bloody tip of the screwdriver. Chloe walked backward to the door, keeping her eyes fixed on the boys. She pushed the door open and slid out, slamming it behind her and dashing down the street. She flagged down a cab. Chloe jumped in and tossed several bills at the driver, "Just go!"

She climbed out the opposite door and ducked into an alley. She moved fast and climbed over a fence. She watched the cab drive away, then looked up, taking in everything she could see. In the distance, she could faintly see the roof of the penthouse. Chloe considered getting a cab, but instead, started running, deciding it was simpler.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When she reached the hotel, she instantly noticed the squad cars surrounding the building. Chloe hung back for a moment, pulling out the trench coat and baseball cap. She put them both on, then melted into the crowd. She glanced at a man and asked, "What happened?"

"Some guy was killed," The man answered casually. He looked down at her, eyes narrow, "Do you know where your mother is?"

Chloe frowned, a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach starting to grow as she recognized the dark skinned man. His black eyes were cold as he watched her, face completely emotionless. Chloe's eyes widened when she noticed the impression of the gun under his jacket. She stepped away from the man and tried to duck out of the crowd. The man caught her wrist and pulled her back. Chloe looked around, but no one in the crowd even looked in her direction. The man shook his head, "Your mother's worried. It wasn't nice of you to run off like that."

Chloe scowled, tugging her wrist free, "Where's my mom?"

"With Torrey, where else," The man indicated a shiny black convertible. "Will you cooperate, or do I have to use force?"

"What do you think?"

The backhand hit her face so suddenly that it knocked Chloe off her feet. She slammed into concrete hard and felt pain shoot through her chest and chin. She lay stunned, staring up at the man. He grabbed the front of her shirt and jerked her to her feet. Chloe hung from his grip, boneless and breathing hard. He sighed, "I don't enjoy hurting children, but Torrey said to use force, and you know I will if I have to."

Chloe felt blood slide down her chin. She wiped it off with the back of her hand and threw the man a dirty look, but she climbed into the car without a word. Her eyes shone bright, almost turning white in anger.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Damian watched the car, binoculars zeroed in on the occupants. He pressed the com link in his ear and spoke up, "I don't know where they're going. I can't follow on foot, but I have the license plate number." He rolled his eyes at the question, "Tt, of course I put a tracking device on her. Who do you think I am, that incompetent fool Drake?"

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**Sorry for the long wait, my brain refused to cooperate. I'll try and get the next chapter up a bit quicker. Anyway, thanks for the reviews from: Fell4 and Toshiro93. **

**P.S. The image used was taken by FadingObscurity. You can find the rest of their work on deviantART.**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

Chloe was pulled roughly out of the car. She looked around. They were outside the city limits and in the middle of a suburb. Chloe sighed; suburbs were the worst place to be. No one was home during the day, except nosy old ladies who had the run of the gossip mill, but Chloe knew that the house, a three story brick building with all the windows shut and the shades pulled tight, they were about to enter was conveniently away from prying eyes. The other problem with suburbs was that no one looked too closely at any new landscaping that would suddenly appear.

The man pulled her wrists behind her and held them easily in one large hand. With his free left hand he fumbled in his jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of duct tape. He wrapped it securely around Chloe's wrists and said, "Don't make any noise."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "I know the drill. We've done this before."

"Many times," He answered.

"Do you remember when –"

"Don't try and make me feel sorry for you by cheerful reminiscing."

Chloe let out a huff, "You're boring."

He pulled off a strip of duct tape and put it over her mouth, "Stop talking."

Chloe mumbled insults. She pushed her tongue against the tape and began working it loose. She felt it slip slightly and left it alone, knowing she could shake it loose if need be. He pushed her toward the door and knocked once. The door opened and he led her inside, grip tight on her upper arm. Chloe looked at the woman who had opened the door. Her eyes widened, she worked off the tape, and her mouth fell open as she said incredulously, "Mother?"

Dana smiled at her, "Hi honey."

Chloe's eyes narrowed, her brain working furiously. Suddenly it clicked in her mind. She snarled, "You b-" She changed track quickly and cut off the rest of her sentence. Chloe took a breath, then she snarled, "You did all of this for money, didn't you?"

Dana shook her head, "Of course honey. What did you think this was about?"

"I thought you were in trouble! I was worried about you!"

"That was your mistake, sweetie."

Chloe jerked loose and bulled into her mother. She knocked Dana flat and head butted her in the face. She was jerked off instantly and held off the ground. Chloe continued snarling insults at her mother. Then she frowned and asked, "How did you get the DNA?"

Dana got to her feet, fingering her lips, "I'm very good at what I do."

Chloe scowled, "Whatever."

Dana shrugged, "If you must know, I paid one of the cleaners who works at Wayne Industries to get me a DNA sample." She continued slowly, winding a strand of hair around her finger, "Do you remember that interesting little thing that the Israelis do with blood?"

Chloe nodded and parroted easily, "Red blood cells do not contain DNA. If you remove the white blood cells, you can plant fabricated DNA in it." She scowled, "That's what you did?"

"Obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up."

Chloe jerked forward, but the man tightened his grip on her arm. She hissed, "You evil little –"

A deep voice came from the left, "Show your mother respect when you talk to her, young lady."

Chloe snapped quickly as she looked over her shoulder. "I will, but I don't have a reason to respect you, Uncle Torrey."

Torrey's thinning hair was the same blond as his sister's, but he was monstrously fat and towered over Dana by a foot and a half. He had dozens of warts covering his face, some oozing pus. He smelled of decay, the sweat pouring off him constantly making his skin shiny and slimy. Old bits of rotting food were caught in the heavy folds of his jowls and small bugs crawled across his skin, feeding constantly. His mouth was huge, pink and wet, and his fat tongue snaked out like a huge worm every few seconds to moisten his lips. Drool leaked out from the corners of his mouth. He walked slowly, fat jiggling with every step he took. His eyes were huge and staring, almost white. Tears leaked from his eyes, mixing with the drool and trickling down his neck to mix with the sweat stains on his collar.

Chloe's mouth twisted as she said, "Hi Uncle Torrey."

Torrey frowned, the fat of his face moving freely, "Nana is not happy with you." Spittle rolled down his chin more freely as he spoke.

Chloe's shoulders hunched and her voice was soft as she asked, "Why is Nana here?"

"She heard you had lost your nerve and decided to come down." Torrey reached out, a meaty, stinking hand pawing for Chloe's shoulder.

Chloe pulled away, slipping behind the other man, "Don't touch me."

Torrey laughed, his whole body shaking. Dana gave her brother a swift glance, then said, "Enough of this. Nana wants to see her."

The man led Chloe into a side room. The room was dark. Curtains, thick and black, hung in the windows, blocking out the sunlight. The room was lit by a reddish glow coming from the lamps on either side of a huge, high backed, overstuffed, armchair. A thin, almost skeletal form sat in the chair. The woman's face was wrinkled, but her eyes were the same frightening opaque as Chloe's. Her hair was pure white and very long. She wore an old fashioned gown, long, sweeping and completely black. A small cameo carved in the likeness of a beautiful girl was nestled in the ruffle of white lace that lay at the hollow of the woman's sunken throat.

Torrey and Dana both dropped to their knees, right hand going to their left shoulder in a show of respect. Chloe refused to bend her knees, but the man swept her legs out from under her and forced her to the ground. He also knelt, but kept Chloe's head bent with one strong hand. Torrey, the man and Dana chorused, "Blood is thicker than water."

Chloe stayed silent, jaw clenching. Nana looked at her, "Is something wrong, daughter?" Her voice was reedy and cracked.

"I'm not your daughter." Chloe snapped.

Nana sighed. She looked at Torrey and Dana, "Go clean up at the apartment."

Torrey frowned, "But Nana -"

"I said, go. You've already caused enough trouble."

Torrey and Dana stood and walked out, neither one wanting to be last out of the door. Dana's disgust was obvious as her brother pressed himself close to her. When the door had shut behind her, the man got to his feet and stood beside the old woman. Chloe stayed where she was, head down. She moved slightly, feeling the tazer in her pocket brush against her hip. She looked at the old woman, smiling slightly, but not saying a word. The woman looked at the tall man, "Let her loose."

The man cut Chloe's wrists free. Chloe scowled at him and rubbed her raw wrists as she gave him a reproachful look. The old woman frowned at him, "I told you not to damage her."

He started to speak, but Nana cut him off by raising one bony hand and motioning for him to bend down. He did. Nana's claw-like fingers gripped his throat, digging into the skin and drawing blood. She pulled hard and the man let out a strangled breath as more blood began to pour. A moment later, he fell to the ground. Nana held his throat for a moment, then tossed it to the floor carelessly. The man stopped twitching after a moment.

Another man, identical to the second walked in. He bent and pulled out the bloody man. Then he walked back and took his place beside Nana.

The old woman sighed, "Whatever shall I do with you?" She shook her head, "You had so much potential. You were so good at the game when you were a child. What went wrong?" She didn't let Chloe answer, "It was that preacher boy. He turned you soft." Nana's mouth twisted, "But don't worry, he learned his lesson. And so did you."

Chloe's jaw clenched. She kept her head bent, stiffening, as she hissed, "It didn't teach me a thing."

"I can tell." Nana sighed, "We'll just have to take you back home and keep you locked up till you do learn."

Chloe's mouth twisted, "No."

"No?"

"I won't go back." Chloe stood up. "I'm done."

"That's what you said before. Now you and your mother are trying to con a Wayne without giving the family a cut."

"That was her idea, not mine. I didn't know she'd started a con. I told Wayne. He knows I'm not his kid."

Nana sighed, "That makes this harder."

Chloe looked down, "I want out."

"I'm sorry, but you know no one leaves the Family until they die."

"But I want out!"

Nana snapped, "You're acting like a child. You know the rules. You know the code."

Chloe repeated tonelessly, "Blood is thicker than water."

Nana smiled, "You remember. I thought you wouldn't." She smiled wider, revealing a mouth full of blackened stumps, "Good little girl."

Chloe scowled, clenching her jaw. Then her eyes narrowed. Chloe reached into her pocket and slid out the tazer. She pointed it at the frail woman. Nana's eyes narrowed. The man jumped for Chloe, but she ducked under his swing and shot him in the back. He fell, twitching violently. Chloe turned back to the woman. Her face was hard, "Blood is thicker."

Nana raised a brow, "You expect to be let go?"

"No. I know you'll send them," Her gaze drifted to the still twitching man, "to find me. I know there's nothing I can say that will convince you not to. You never would listen to sense. But I will kill anyone who comes after me." Chloe leaned down, resting her hands on the arms of the chair, "You know I will. And it won't be pretty. I will make it slow and painful. I will make them beg and send their heads back to you. I don't care who it is, how old they are, or if they have family. I will kill them."

The old woman's smile was ghoulish, "You won't do it. If you had the guts to kill, you wouldn't have used a tazer on that one."

Chloe smiled, "Why should I have? You'll kill him when I'm gone and save me the trouble."

Nana smiled wider, "Smart girl." Her face was tranquil as she said, "But I know you won't kill them. You've never killed before. Why would you start know?"

Chloe's eyes narrowed, "You'd be surprised."

Nana waved a hand, "Go on then. I want to see how long it takes you to get caught. And rest assured, you will be caught and you will regret ever trying to leave."

Chloe stepped back, eyes narrow and wary as she watched the old woman. Nana made no movement, but her eyes flickered slightly. That was when Chloe noticed a cell phone beside Nana. She grabbed it before the old woman could and crushed in on the floor, grinding her heel into the expensive phone vindictively. She turned and walked out. She moved fast, wanting to put as much distance between herself and Nana as she possibly could.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The manager of the small hotel looked at the scruffy boy carrying the small black backpack. Something dark flashed in his eyes as he looked the slender, girlish boy up and down. He spat on the ground next to his feet, "The room's twenty-five a day." He grinned, "Unless you want to lower the cost a bit."

The boy forked over fifty dollars, eyes rolling slightly in disgust, and waited silently for the room key. He walked away silently and up the stairs to the room. He locked the door behind him and leaned against it. He reached up and pulled off his baseball cap. Long blond hair tumbled down her shoulders and Chloe sighed. Playing a boy was very easy.

She walked to the bathroom. She turned on the light. The bathroom floor was cracked and the tub had a black stain around the drain. A cockroach the size of a small mouse skittered across the floor. She looked at the mirror. It was cracked and dirty, with a small crack in the corner.

Chloe sighed and put her backpack on the counter. She unzipped the backpack and pulled out her makeup bag. She opened it and pulled out a pair of scissors and a small, battery powered razor. She pulled out a small hairbrush and slid her hair behind her ears. She brushed it, slowly, carefully before pulling it back and slipping a small hair tie around the long, low pony tail. She pulled off her shirt, exposing the strips of gauze she had wrapped around her breasts to flatten her breasts and make her more boyish. Her chest ached slightly and Chloe winced as she loosed the gauze slightly. She ran her fingers through her hair, slowly, savoring the feel of the silky strands.

Then Chloe raised the scissors and cut her hair off, just above the rubber band, in one smooth stroke.

She winced as she watched her hair fall to the ground. Chloe bit her lip, flinching as she looked at herself. Then she picked up the razor and turned it on. She brought it up to her hairline and pressed it into her hair. She felt the razor cut into her hair and watched as it began to peel away from her skull. Her hand moved in sure, quick strokes. She had shaved her head before. She finished quickly and bent, turning on the water and rubbing it over her bare skull. She felt the tiniest bit of fuzz at the base of her neck and picked up the razor again.

Chloe looked at herself in the mirror, smiling in amusement at the sight of her bald head. She bent and picked up the hair, checking carefully to make sure she didn't leave any behind. She walked to the tiny window and opened it. Chloe leaned out as much as she could and waited for a breeze. When one came, she released her hair. Some fell, but the majority was taken by the wind and she soon lost sight of it.

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**Nana is loosely based on my own grandmother. As far as I know, the harpy never ripped out anyone's throat, but I don't know for sure. **

**Anyway, thanks to: OpalFaye and Toshiro93 for the reviews. **


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

The next evening, Chloe skittered round a corner, jumped onto a small wooden box, put one hand on the top of the fence, and swung herself over. The gloaming light made it hard to see, but Chloe was surefooted. She landed lightly and dashed around the corner to a newspaper stand. She tossed a bill at the owner and grabbed a paper. She was gone before he had to shout at her. Chloe moved fast and was up a fire escape in no time. She hung her legs through the bars and opened the paper to the obituaries.

She scanned them quickly, looking for her name. When she didn't find it, she frowned slightly and wadded up the paper. She dropped it into a dumpster slightly to her left. After a moment, she climbed down and dropped to the ground. She wandered down the street, looking for somewhere that served food. Chloe found a small diner that looked relatively clean. She ducked inside and found an empty stool.

Chloe sat down, head turned down and her baseball cap pulled low. She barely glanced at the waitress as she ordered. Chloe stiffened as a heavyset man sat down next to her. He looked hard at her and said, "Your eyes are a dead giveaway. Did you consider contact lenses?"

Chloe didn't wait for him to say anything else. She grabbed a fork and stabbed it into the side of his face, just under his left eye. She was off the stool and in the street in seconds. Chloe ran into the road, skidding in front of a taxi and vaulting over the hood. But she had misjudged the distance and her hip caught on the top of the car. Chloe let out a pained hiss, but continued moving. Her baseball cap fell off and she didn't bother to retrieve it. The fuzz on her scalp was sweaty, but it dried as she ran.

Chloe didn't bother going back to the hotel. She knew more men would be there. Besides, she had her backpack with her and hadn't let anything behind.

She stopped when she was nearly four blocks away from the diner. Chloe bent over, hands on her knees, panting hard as she tried to regain her breath and get her heart rate back to normal. She straightened after a moment and looked around. She didn't recognize the street. She turned in a circle, sniffing the air when she smelled gasoline and alcohol. Chloe narrowed her eyes and pulled out her tazer. She crouched slightly and glanced around carefully.

A bike streaked around the corner. Chloe jumped to one side and shouted, "Watch it, creep!"

The bike stopped and the slight rider turned to look at her. The figure reached up and pulled off the helmet. Chloe winced when she saw Colin's grin. He put his head on one side, "Do I know you?"

Chloe shook her head, sliding the tazer back into hiding. She purposefully lowered her voice and gave it a gravelly edge, "No."

Colin got off his motorcycle and wandered over. He looked her up and down. "You really do look familiar."

Chloe turned on him, scowling, "Go away."

Colin's eyes widened, "Are you related to a weird girl? She acts like a bitch and has long blond hair."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "No."

He smiled, "Yeah, you are."

She shook her head, "Why are you so sure?"

"You're as grumpy as she is."

"Thanks."

Colin stared at her and Chloe said, "You're weird."

"And you're a girl."

Chloe rolled her eyes, reassuming her normal voice, "It's not like I'm trying to hide it, well, not completely."

Colin frowned, "Damian's gonna kill you."

"Why?"

"You're the reason he got kidnapped."

Chloe paused, she blinked, then asked slowly, "What?"

"Your mom and some fat guy kidnapped him."

"How do you know my mom?"

"Don't you care that Damian's been kidnapped?"

"Not really, no. And if you care so much why aren't you looking for him?"

Colin shrugged, "Dick said I was too young."

"That's stupid."

"That's what I said." Colin answered.

Chloe sighed, "Where are they looking?"

"Batman found some dirt that only comes from a certain part of Gotham's woods. So they went there."

"It's a red herring. Trust me, if it _is_ my mother they wouldn't have left any clues behind accidentally."

Colin looked down, "Oh."

Chloe smiled at him, "Now, how do you know my mother?"

"I guessed. You look like her." He stared at her bare head, "Not anymore though."

Chloe brushed her hand over the fuzz, "Oh good." Then she frowned, "Where did they snatch him?"

"On his way to the car when he was let out of detention," Colin answered. Then he said as an afterthought, "The fat guy hit Alfred."

Chloe's eyes widened, "Oh."

"Are you gonna help?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Why should I?"

"It was your mom."

"And my uncle, who is psychotic and possibly a -" Chloe winced, "On second thought, where's the nearest costume shop?"

Colin wrinkled his nose, "Why do you need a costume?"

She grinned, "I need a wig. It'll scare the hell out of my mom to see me bald and I want as much shock value as possible."

Colin looked down, then he asked hesitantly, "Can I touch your head?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Why would I let you do that?"

He went red, "It looks weird and I want to."

She let out a bored sigh and bent down, "Fine."

Colin rubbed her head and grinned, "It's so weird."

"Okay, time's up. Hands off the merchandise," Chloe straightened and smiled down at the red haired boy.

He blinked hopefully, "Does this mean you're going to help?"

"I suppose it does. I kinda like the old guy."

Colin bounded back to the motorcycle. He held the helmet out toward her. Chloe raised her brows, "I hope you don't expect me to let you drive."

"I know how." He replied defensively.

"I know. And I bet you're really good at it." Chloe ruffled his hair, "But I need to go to a warehouse that's really hard to find, and I can't give good directions."

He looked at her suspiciously, "Why do you need to go there?"

Chloe sighed, but explained, "There are only two places in Gotham my mother would take the bratling and feel completely safe. The warehouse. Or the yacht. If I know my mother, she'll be on the boat. She likes tanning during a kidnapping."

"Really," Colin asked.

Chloe nodded in a matter-of-fact way, "She kidnapped a sheik once and lay on the roof until she was completely brown."

"That's weird."

"It was also stupid."

"Why?"

Chloe shrugged, "The sheik's men were in the courtyard below shooting at her."

Colin blinked and changed the subject, "Then why do you need to go to the warehouse instead of just going to the yacht?"

"Weapons stockpile," Chloe said as she rolled her eyes, "Duh."

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**And chapter eight is here. Thanks to: OpalFaye, Toshiro93, and a non moose for their reviews! **


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

The water in the bay was calm and lapped softly at the sides of the yacht. The slight breeze tasted salty and ruffled the water creating small whitecaps of foam. The sky was almost completely black and the stars and moon shone bright. The yacht's lights reflected on the water. The yacht was huge and luxuriously furnished. All this was lost on Damian as he scowled at the woman who lounged next to him on a towel, "You must know my father will not stand for this, woman."

Dana continued filing her oval shaped nails, and paying little attention to the boy. She blew on the tips and replied in a bored manner, "Then he can sit for it."

Damian twisted slightly, testing the limits of his bonds. The moment he moved, the chair brushed against the activated tazer, and waves of electricity went through the metal chair. Damian yelped, breathing hard as the shock waves finally stopped. He glared at Dana, "I will dismember you when I am free."

"Honey, I've heard that before, and from much more intimidating men then you." Dana reached over and brushed back his hair. She ran her fingers down his left cheek and tipped his head back by sliding a finger under his chin. "Now be a good boy and don't move. I don't like hurting little children." She frowned slightly, "Or is that something Chloe said, I don't remember exactly. For all I know I like hurting children," she dug her nail into his cheek and watched blood trickle down her finger, "Maybe I get a thrill from it."

Damian ignored the pain, keeping his face blank. He raised a brow, "You don't remember?"

Dana licked the blood off her finger as she leaned back and got comfortable, "My daughter talks all the time. It's hard to keep track of what she says and what I say."

His smile was crooked, "You don't like her."

"Not really." Dana glanced at him. "She was always so self-righteous, it gets annoying after a few years."

"Where is she?"

"How should I know?"

"Tt, you are her mother."

Dana rolled her eyes, "Your mother doesn't know where you are."

"Of course she does," Damian said firmly, "Well, not at the moment, but she does know."

Damian stated calmly, "My mother will have you hunted down and annihilated for this insult."

"How on earth could your mother do that?"

"My mother is Talia al Ghul."

Dana blinked once, still keeping up her bored facade, "Really?"

"Yes, and she will have you destroyed for this insult."

Dana stood up, purposefully nudging the chair so it brushed against the tazer, "Of course she will dear."

She walked inside and shut the door behind her. She strode to her room. Once inside, she locked the door behind her and fumbled for her cell phone. Dana dialed and raised the phone to her ear. She smiled as she said, "Chloe, baby, there's something we need to talk about…I know, but I need your help."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chloe stood, leaning against the wall, legs crossed at the ankles. She sighed and said, "Mother…" When her mother continued talking, Chloe cut her off sharply, hissing, "Mother, I'm not helping you."

She ended the call and dropped the phone onto the ground. She crushed it quickly and looked around the warehouse. It was filled with dozens of crates and the walls were lined with many different kinds of swords and knives. The right wall had several different motorcycles chained to it.

Chloe walked to a small office and ducked inside. She found dozens of items of clothing. She stripped out of her dirty clothes, but left the gauze wrapped around her chest. She found a pair of jeans that didn't feel too loose and slid them on. She looked through the shirts, but found nothing that fit. She instead found a thick black hooded sweatshirt and slid it over her head.

She slid her hands in the pocket and walked back out into the warehouse. She walked around a corner and caught sight of Colin. He was staring at the swords, obviously fascinated. Chloe strode over. She smiled down at him, "You like them?"

He nodded. Chloe reached up and pulled down a long, curved dagger. She held it out to Colin, asking, "Do you want to hold it?"

He took it gingerly. Chloe reached for a thin bladed rapier and pulled it down. She fastened it to her belt and pulled down a sawed off shotgun and slid it over her shoulder. She slid the bandolier over her chest and adjusted the strap in-between her breasts. She picked up a second, smaller knife, slid it into her pocket and said, "Come on."

Colin blinked at her, "What?"

"Try it out."

He shook his head, "No."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Alright. We'll try it another time."

He stayed quiet for a moment, then Colin asked, "Where's your wig?"

"Still in the bag. It itches." Chloe rubbed her fuzz and said, "Come on."

Colin put the knife back and trailed after Chloe. "Aren't we going to get the others?"

"What others?"

"Batman and the others, they're looking for Damian."

"Why should we get them?" Chloe found a small first aid kit and put it in her pocket.

"Won't we need help?"

Chloe sighed, "There's not enough time. They're going to get rid of him." She raised a brow, "And who said anything about 'we,' I'm going in alone."

"But I can help."

She pursed her lips, "There's no way I'm letting a little kid –"

She was cut off by Colin laughing. Chloe scowled, "What's so funny?"

Her eyes widened as Colin's skin began to change. His veins stuck out and his body shook briefly. Chloe stepped back, looking up at Colin's now monstrous form. She cleared her throat, "Okay, you're not a little –" She cut herself off and jabbed a finger in Colin's face, "But _I'm_ in charge and I say you're _not_ going!"

Colin shrank back to normal, a sulky, but resigned expression on his face; he took off his ruined shirt and looked up at her innocently, "Do you have any extra clothes?"

She grinned and pointed, "Through there."

Colin walked where she pointed. He called over his shoulder, "Don't they want the ransom?"

"Like they need it."

"If they don't need it why'd they kidnap him?"

"You really expect me to understand the workings of my family's collective and very twisted brain?"

Colin thought for a moment, then said, "I suppose that's a valid point."

"Anyway, why they're getting rid of him, but they are, and we need to get to him before they throw him into the bay with a tazer strapped to his chest."

"How do you know he has a tazer strapped to his chest?"

She shrugged, "My mom sent me a picture."

"Can I see it?"

"No, I smashed the phone."

"That was dumb."

She stuck her tongue out, then her cheeks colored as she realized he couldn't see her. Chloe waited a moment longer, then called, "Hurry up!"

Colin ran up to her, fidgeting in the bright orange shirt he now wore, "Then I guess we should hurry."

Chloe smiled at him, "I like the way you think little man."

She stopped and turned to look at him, "Colin, am I skinny?"

He stared at her, then answered honestly, "You look like a stick insect."

"I know." Her nose wrinkled in distaste, "Throwing up isn't a great way to get rid of pills."

"Pills?"

"My mother kept putting pills in my food. I threw up to make sure I didn't eat them.

"That was dumb."

Chloe put her hands on top of her hips and was surprised when her fingertips touched, "I know."

Colin grinned at her, "You really didn't know how skinny you looked?"

She shook her head, "I didn't notice. I had the flu once, threw up for nearly a week straight and didn't eat much for another two weeks. I was emaciated by then. I've only been throwing up pills for a few days." Chloe glanced down at her chest, "Besides, these grew a bit."

"So, you weren't doing it because you thought you were fat?"

"Why would I do that? I like my sexy curves." Colin gave her a hard stare and Chloe shrugged, "Hey, cut me some slack. Being thin is terribly overrated and I may have originally started out doing because I felt fat, and it was gross. It got in my hair, but then I saw the pills and realized what was going on, so I kept doing it. And it was always gross."

She headed for the door. Colin followed her. His face was screwed up in a frown. As they walked outside, he asked, "If they don't want a ransom, why kidnap Damian?"

"Oh, they did want a ransom. And they'll get it."

"Then why did she call you?"

"She wanted me to come get him."

"Why?"

"Would you want to be stuck that brat for hours?"

"He's my friend."

"You're so blind to his many faults."

Chloe climbed on Colin's bike and put on a helmet. Colin clambered on behind her, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. He asked, "Why don't they just come after you?"

"This might be a bit simpler. Fewer bodies to dispose of, though that wouldn't be much of a problem," Chloe answered.

Colin shook his head, "Your family is weird."

Chloe laughed, "You haven't even met my grandmother yet."

She started the bike and backed it up. As she was about to swing it around, a long black car pulled up in front of the warehouse and forced her to stop. Colin peered over her shoulder, "Who's that?"

"How do I know?" Chloe asked, slightly exasperated.

The driver's door opened and a tall, uniformed chauffer got out. He walked to the back to door silently, paying no attention to the idling motorbike. He opened the door and held it as the occupant of the car stepped out.

Chloe stiffened and slid off the helmet. She climbed off the bike and stood still, hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes narrowed as she said, "Sir."

The man towered over her. His graying hair was brushed back smoothly. He wore a long green cloak and a tailored suit. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at her, "Where is my grandson?"

Chloe shrugged, "I'm going to get him now."

"That is not what I asked." Ra's al Ghul replied evenly.

Chloe's eyes flashed nervously. She glanced swiftly at Colin, then she ducked her head submissively. Her voice was soft and childish as she murmured, "I would never presume to attack an Assassin. I know better. I had nothing to do with this. You have to believe me."

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**And here's chapter nine, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to: OpalFaye and Toshiro93 for the reviews!**


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